Airsoft Sites: Yorkshire

Having recently returned from the Northern Shooting Show in Harrogate, Yorkshire is most firmly imprinted in my psyche! Whenever I venture north each year to a show that has become a regular fixture on my ‘shooting calendar’, I look forward to it immensely, not just for the show itself but for the great food and ale, and a very warm welcome from the friends that I’ve made there!

This year’s show was certainly a superb one for airsoft! Although the ‘Airsoft Experience’ area is still based slightly away from the main show halls, this by no means says that footfall was any lighter, as the airsoft ‘hall’ is right by the main square, which once again saw a wonderful collection of military vehicles and an absolutely stunning ‘cold war’ living history display, as well as representatives from the likes of A Squadron of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry with their Jackal and kit.

Now, it has been said before that, “small is beautiful” and I’m going to tell you that, in relation to airsoft at ‘The Northern ‘19’, this saying has never been truer. What may have been missed in terms of quantity was more than made up for by the sheer quality and professionalism that the wider shooting community saw. Everyone involved in airsoft on site was thoroughly professional, the stands and the displays were first rate, and both the ‘Shoot House’ and the ‘Three Gun Competition’ showed airsoft off in the very best way possible!

I do understand that one of the major stumbling blocks airsoft faces in becoming a ‘full member’ of the wider UK shooting community is the fact that we shoot each other! What was on show, though, was another side that many show visitors had never seen before, and from those that I spoke to they certainly came away with a greater appreciation of ‘what airsoft is’; so, I’ll conclude with a hearty “well done!” to all the airsoft fraternity that made 2019 in Harrogate such a success!

So, let’s get down to where you can find a ‘grand day out’ for you and your AEG!

Yorkshire Tactical Airsoft

Yorkshire Tactical Airsoft offer three separate sites across the county: The Manor in Sheffield, The Pines in Doncaster, and The Pit in Barnsley, all offer a great deal of scope for you to try different styles of play, and each have their own unique character.

What you will find at all of them though is a thoroughly professional team of marshals, some great gameplay, and a super ‘community’. The action generally starts at around 10am and they tend to play 2-3 games before lunch. During the afternoon, you can expect another 2-3 games!

Hire packages are available for new players, with superb service provided by ASPUK, who specialise in sniper rifles, which you can check it out by visiting airsoftsniperparts.com

SitE Limits

Skirmish the Stan

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The site uses the former Stanley Tools Factory and offers seasoned airsofters the very definition of close quarter battle.

This site is fast, sometimes close and certainly not for the novice or faint hearted and the site team strongly recommend FULL FACE PROTECTION and helmets, knee and elbow protection and boots with ankle support. On site, you will find clean toilets and a secure safe zone that is manned at all times during game days, making you safe in the knowledge that your kit is safe. There will be some power on site and this means some facility for battery charging, however this is limited so please make sure you charge your batteries ready for game day.

They stock Blaster 0.20g and 0.25g BBs with a small selection of accessories; drinks, Pot Noodles and snacks are available.

Site limits

This site runs a strict single shot only policy and the max FPS is 350fps with a .20g BB, with no exceptions!

Halo Mill Airsoft

Halo Mill was born from the desire to make Airsoft more accessible, both in terms of introducing the sport to the general public and giving those who love to airsoft a venue to practice, play and train more often!

Patrol Base Ltd founder Chris Hartwell and business partner Simon Crossland have worked closely with military and police consultants to create a challenging environment and their primary objective is to provide the safest, fun, professional, accessible, friendly and an evolving indoor airsoft experience in the UK, where you can come down after work to de-stress.

You’ll find a safe and exciting venue for both experienced airsofters and beginners to experience CQB Airsoft at its finest. You’ll get to experience low light and fully dark ops, along with a 30m indoor dedicated long gun/ sniper rifle target and hop-up test shooting range!

Halo Mill offers facility for groups/teams/ individuals to hire exclusive time for private games/parties and training, and an annual membership of £30.00 provides access to discounts on games and equipment purchased at Halo Mill or their excellent store, Patrol Base.

There are snacks and plenty of drinks available on site, but Halo Mill indoor airsoft arena is also surrounded with shops and is built on top of a Premier news agents, with fast food and bakers too.

Site limits

Halo Mill permit access for people with up to 500fps bolt action sniper rifles looking to use the 30m sniper range to set up their hop and sights. All guns are chronoed before any game; if you are 0.1fps over 350 at any time, you will not be allowed to use that airsoft gun until it is firing under 350fps every time. In addition to the three dedicated sites listed above you can also give airsoft a try at Kill House Airsoft (killhouse.co.uk) and First and Only Stealth Woods Otley (firstandonlyevents.co.uk).

All the sites also have busy, regularly updated Facebook and other social media pages which include photo galleries of both the site and past games, so these are well worth a look. If there are new sites that I’ve missed, then please do feel free to contact me and I’ll endeavour to add you in a site update later!